Job Interview Lesson

Job interview (Download Full Lesson)
This useful lesson presents two job interview methods, the questions often asked and suitable answers and methods for students/applicants.

Traditional interview questions and answer phrases

Tell me about yourself?

I studied at ….. University and graduated with an honours degree in….

I am career minded (ambitious)

I’m looking for a new challenge…

I have been interested in this field for a long time.

Why did you leave your previous job?

I have reached the limit of what I can achieve in my old company.

I am looking for a bigger challenge.

Your company is at the top of the field.

My old company was downsizing and I was a new employee.

Why do you want this job?

Your company is the most innovative in the industry.

This company is the market leader and would be ideal for advancing my career.

This position suits my qualifications perfectly.

Because of my experience I think I can be a great asset to this company.

What would your previous co-workers say about you?

My manager always said I was diligent and responsible because…

My colleagues would say I am a team player because…

My project manager would say I am reliable because…

How do you handle stressful situations and working under pressure?

If I’m under pressure I try to prioritise…

Sometimes I thrive under pressure (e.g.)…

When I feel stressed, I…

I’m not the type to feel stress or pressure…

What are you like working in a team?

I pride myself on being a team player (e.g.)…

Being part of a team is very important because…

I function best in a team when…

What is your greatest strength?

I am good at motivating others around me (e.g.)

My technical ability is high level because…

I take the initiative whenever possible…

I have a strong commitment to everything I take on…

What is your biggest weakness?

I don’t like when people waste my time…

My English is not as good as I would like it to be but I am…

My coding is not as high level as I would like it to be but…

Tell me about a suggestion that you have made that has been successfully implemented?

I had an idea to….

I came up with a solution to…

I designed a system for…

Why should we hire you?

I would make a good employee because…

I think I am ideal for this position because…

My area of expertise is well suited to this position…

Regarding salary, what are your expectations?

Money is not my main motivating factor at the moment.

I expect the industry standard for this position.

What is the salary range for this position?

Do you have any questions for us?

When can I start?

What are the chances for professional development…

How large a team would I be working in?

Practice asking and answering these questions!

Tell me about yourself?

Why did you leave your previous job?

Why do you want this job?

What would your previous co-workers say about you?

How do you handle stressful situations and working under pressure?

What are you like working in a team?

What is your greatest strength?

What is your biggest weakness?

Tell me about a suggestion that you have made that has been successfully implemented?

Why should we hire you?

Regarding salary, what are your expectations?

S.T.A.R. interview technique is used by employers to assess how potential employees have handled or will handle challenging situations. It is a great system to follow for preparing for an interview.

The acronym stands for:

Situation

Task

Action

Result

Situation: the interviewer will ask the interviewee to describe a particular situation in which a challenge was met in the workplace, or else, the interviewer will present a hypothetical situation that would pose a challenge in the workplace.

Task: the interviewer then expects an explanation about what the interviewees responsibility was or would be in such a situation.

Action: the interviewee then explains what steps he/she took or would take to resolve the situation.

Result: finally, the interviewee will tell the interviewer the outcomes or expected outcomes of taking such action.

1. Students prepare and present a situation from the past in the workplace and apply the S.T.A.R. method to it.

2. The teacher presents students with a hypothetical situation and assesses how the students answer using the S.T.A.R. method.